


Light strokes

by ZA_Yachiyo



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, I need sleep, I'm not sure if it's considered Minor Character death, Lazy editing will deal with this later, Lukanette, Tikki is a fish
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-06-29 10:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19828591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZA_Yachiyo/pseuds/ZA_Yachiyo
Summary: Marinette's life isn't following the direction she had previously planned.A drunken impulse led her to meeting someone who'll help her get her life back together.





	1. Drunken Impulse

Belongings stacked in her arms, the door in front of Marinette shuts loud enough to alarm the passersby. 

Such an early Monday morning to be causing a scene. 

It was the norm for this street to cause infuriating noise enough for the police department to come and resolve the situation. However, Marinette never imagined she would be a cause to some of it. 

It all started after she had graduated from her studies and finished her around-the-world travel to complete her portfolio. Everything seemed to be perfect, The only thing she needed was a start-up capital and some work experience. 

The street was known as ‘ _Lunatic boutiques’_ where the busiest boutiques gather and compete with one another. The name should have been a warning to her already. 

After eight months of working, Marinette found herself fired from three different boutiques. The longest she had been was her second where she lasted four months, the shortest was the latest one, three weeks. 

She dragged herself to her flat, cursing her boss for firing her over some misunderstanding. The orders for the cloth came, instead of that they had initially planned, the cloth was a scarlet. Even if it was just a few shades different, the difference was prominent. Poor Marinette became the scapegoat of the situation. She wasn’t even in charge of it! 

Eight months of working overtime and all she attained were dark circles under her eyes and an unhealthy lifestyle. She shuffled through her purse, accidentally dropping some of her belongings while she searched for her key. 

When was the last time she ate a decent meal? 

Was it before her first day at the first boutique? 

When was the last time she went out with friends? 

Was it before Alya left six months ago for a temporary job assignment? 

How in the world did the person who was traveling around the world just a year back ended in this miserable state? 

“Fuck!” Marinette couldn’t hold back her frustration, she gripped her hair and threw her stuff on the floor of her flat. Clean up can wait, right now, she just wanted curl up and never see daylight. 

If only money wasn’t an issue. 

She had to move out of her previous apartments, trying to find one that suited her current budget. But as time passed, her budget just kept on draining. 

She can’t even imagine herself going back to her parent’s house even though they’d beg her at this point. No loving parent would ever want to see their child in pain like this. 

Marinette no longer knew what she should do. And so, trying to forget her problems, she slept. 

\---//--- 

How many days had passed? 

Marinette did not know. 

She slept and only woke up to eat. 

It would’ve continued longer if her fridge didn’t run out of food. 

Alas, Marinette had to go out for the first time in a while. 

The trip to the store was uneventful. Somehow, it felt nostalgic. Remembering the days of the past when she was just designing for the fun of it. 

“Marinette?” a voice called out to her from behind. It was Nino. “Marinette! How’s it goi--” Nino stopped in his tracks when he saw Marinette’s face “You look horrible! When was the last time you even heard of sleep?” 

“Thirty minutes ago? I don’t even know how long I’ve been sleeping since I was fired. Hey what day is it?” 

“You were fired?” Nino exclaimed “How many times has it been?” his expression was filled with worry. “Today is Thursday by the way” 

“Three times. How’s Alya?” Marinette tried to change the subject. 

“Alya has been calling me dail- Hey don’t change the subject! Let’s go grab a bite and we’ll talk about it. I won’t take no for an answer, if Alya finds out I just left you like this, she’ll chop me into pieces and throw me into the ocean. She also said to check up on you since you haven’t called her for a long time. Besides, we haven’t hung out for a while now.” 

Marinette didn’t have the energy to refuse. 

They ended up in a nearby Japanese place and ordered some ramen. Marinette tried to change the subject but Nino kept insisting on it. 

“Look, I know I’m being really pushy right now but dude, you look like your life has been sucked out of you. I don’t think anyone would like to see you like this especially Alya, your parents and even...” 

“Even who?” Marinette eyed Nino suspiciously 

“Even Adrien...” 

Marinette flinched 

“Let’s not talk about …" she mumbled 

“I’ll let you pass about that but you’re still going to tell me what’s been happening to you this past eight months.” 

Marinette sighs. 

“It’s almost sun down. Wanna go out for a drink? My treat as long as you talk” 

“I really don’t want to bother you with my problems... “ 

“It’s fine! It's fine! So, it’s a deal?” 

“alright...” Marinette sighs 

\---//---

“So, let me get this straight” Nino winced. After two hours of listening to Marinette’s drunk complains, he finally had all the pieces to the summary of Marinette’s eight months. 

“You’ve been living off baguettes and Mac and cheese for eight months while working with a total of three demon lords for 14 hours a day in the office, only to go home and find yourself working 3 more hours?” Nino concluded 

Marinette nodded dramatically with tears in her eyes 

“Not only that, you got fired again, you’re really broke and you don’t think you can afford rent two months later if you don’t find a job quickly. Jobs anywhere in the street of lunatic boutiques are inhumane, any sane boutique is currently full so they can’t hire you leaving you jobless unless you find a job unrelated to fashion. You think your bathroom sink is suffering from a leak and your pet fish Tikki died because you forgot to feed it for a week.” Nino Added 

Marinette nodded dramatically with tears in her eyes 

“I’m a failure! I did so much and ended up **jobless**!” Marinette bawled “It’s over! My life is a failure! I’m going to live my life in box in the streets and beg while wearing rags. Then I'll befriend rats for a short time until they realized I’m a sad pathetic failure and leave me to play with cats instead because that’s how much they hate me! They hate me so much! they would rather play with their natural enemy instead and then Paris will drive me out for being such a loser and I’ll have to live my life alone in a stranded island and die alone! I will never be able to get married! I will die alone and a virgin!” Marinette bawled while chugging her drink. 

“Jesus, you’re a virgin?” Nino took a swig. 

“I’m such a loser I might as well get it tattooed across my face!” 

“That would be really funny, imagine the look on Alya’s face when she sees it, she’ll be mortified” Nino laughed. The booze was crawling up to him. 

“She’ll be a lot more mortified once she realizes how much I fucked my whole life over” 

“You were already fucked up when Adri...” Nino hiccupped “en re-” Marinette covered her ears with her palms. “Yayayayayaya! I’m not listening! Yayayayayayaya!” Marinette yelled. The bartender placed his index over his mouth, telling them to be silent. 

“What’s done is done! So you should go out there and make more mistakes to cry about!” drunken Nino laughed 

“Yeah! More mistakes! more fuck ups! more demon jobs! More drinks! More Adr---Tattoos! I’m getting a Loser Tattoo cause I’m a loser! Yeah!” 

“Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about!” 

The two laughed 

“I’m gonna take a piss” Nino got up and stumbled to the bathroom. Humming how much a few drinks solved everything. How Marinette is now feeling better and how she’ll probably be looking for a job tomorrow and how she’s going to get a tattoo that say ‘los--- 

And that’s were Nino realized he fucked up 

Nino ran to look for Marinette. 

Oh boy, Alya is going to kill him. 

\---//---

After fifteen minutes of stumbling towards the nearest tattoo parlor, Marinette finally arrives. She clumsily pushes the door open to find a black-blue at the tips haired man sketching on a sofa. His arm and neck was covered in tattoos too. 

“I want... a tattoo!” Marinette yelled. “I want it to be big!” She gestured raised her arms enthusiastically “And I want I want it to say ‘loser’ cause I’m such a big failure and a reject of the society” 

“Madam, please calm down...” 

“I am calm! I want it red so that everyone can see! Ha, Chloe Bourgeois, you were absolutely right you bitch! Why don’t you just become a fortune teller and tell everyone to fuck off?” Marinette whined “I want a tattoo! Pronto!” 

“Madam, please calm down!” 

“What’s wrong? Don't think I can pay? I’m calm and I want a tattoo to show mom and dad how much of a disappointment I am end up as trash!” She bawled as she dropped to the floor “I didn’t want to disappoint them so much but it’s hard! I don’t think I can manage anymore, I just wanna crawl into a hole then di-” 

The man kneeled, placed his palms on Marinette’s shoulder and pressed his fingers softly “Madam, please calm down... How about we talk this through? Let's hear about it and not do anything rash, okay?” He smiled softly. 

Marinette nodded softly holding back the tears. 

“Good girl, good girl” The man said while petting Marinette’s head as she wipes her tears. 

Oddly enough, the man had some sort of calming effect on Marinette, enough to stop her crying and get her seated properly on a sofa, even though he was a stranger. 

“Now, what seems to be the problem?” 

“I don’t know what to do- I got fired for the third time this year, I’m almost broke, I don’t want to give fashion and I don’t want to disappoint my pa-” Marinette coughs “rents..” She coughs again 

“Would you like some water?” The man offered. She nods. 

The man stood up, went to the nearby bar table and poured her a glass of lukewarm water. Marinette followed and accepted the drink. 

“Thank you...” She drank the water and sat on the nearby chair. 

“You should take your time and plan out what you think would be the best course of action, I’ll listen to you if you want to talk it out.” 

“I appreciate it...” Marinette rests her head lazily on the table. It was only then she noticed that there was music playing. A soft acoustic version of the song that’s been popular lately. It was kind of a warm and soothing vibe, not to mention, the man started humming to the song. He was only humming but his voice held a soft and encouraging tone to it. Soon Marinette found herself dozing. 

\---//--- 

Drunks were a norm in the parlor. 

Their shop was unfortunately close to a bar so they would always end up with a drunk or two visiting them for an impromptu tattoo. 

Even if it was only him in the shop at the moment, Luka knew how to deal with drunks. He had dealt with them on almost a daily basis. 

Therefore, a drunk woman coming to the shop demanding for a ‘Loser’ tattoo is no surprise. 

She was a self-depreciating drunk. Obviously, He’s not going to give her a tattoo. She started rambling about being a failure of the society then turned into an angry one then started to cry. He felt his heart stung when he saw how hopeless she looked. Her eyes had dark circles under, they were also kind of puffy, a sign that she had been crying. No matter how cool and calm Luka acts, he was weak to emotions. 

Before she could say the words that will break his heart further, He stopped her. 

It seems that she has calmed down. He heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. 

_“Good girl, good girl”_

Luka found her as fragile as a lullaby. A soft melody tugging his heart for hug. 

Of course, giving a drunk stranger a hug would probably count as taking advantage of the person. 

So, Luka offered an ear instead. 

She started talking about her current situation. He examined her expression as she talked. 

Not only was she her financial and physical wellbeing was suffering. She was suffering mentally and emotionally too. 

Again, Luka wanted to offer her a hug. 

He offered water instead when he heard her cough. 

It was when he offered her water, he noticed the color of her eyes. 

Bluebell. A shade of blue, the color he liked so much. 

The calming color of the sea and the sky. 

A soft color full of melancholy and at the same time, bliss. 

He shakes his head and offered to talk. 

The woman accepts however, it seemed like the night is getting to her. 

He watched her slowly fall asleep whilst humming the song that has been playing. Soon she was asleep. It didn’t seem like she was going to wake up so soon too. He wonders how may drinks she had before she came here. 

Now that the situation has somehow ‘settled’, it bothers him how familiar she looks. 

Luka thinks he had seen her before. So familiar yet nothing comes into mind. She seems younger than him too... around two years... could it be...? 

Just then the door opened, A dark skinned man wearing a cap and a hoodie came in. 

He look around and saw the girl who was sleeping. 

“You didn’t give her a tattoo, right?” He panicked. 

Luka nods. The man heaves a sigh of relief. 

“Thanks, did she yell? Cried? Break anything?” 

Luka nods. “She kept on yelling and cried but she didn’t break anything. Don’t worry. Everything is fine” 

“Thank God! Alya is going to kill me if something happens to her! Thank God, good people like you exist!” The man placed his hands on his head as he contemplates everything that had happened. 

“I’m safe!” He concluded 

“Say are you...” Luka wanted to ask but then decided maybe it wasn’t any of his business. If fate allows them to meet again, he’ll ask her himself. “No, never mind...” 

“Anyway, thanks dude! You’re a real life saver! I have cab waiting outside. I’ll take her home.” The man carried the sleeping woman and waved. 

Luka smiled and waved back. 


	2. Ladybug Sign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette took some time to reflect.

Marinette grumbles and opens her eyes. She was in her room, like always. Except, this time it’s questionable why she is in her room or how rather. 

She looks around, her stuff still messy and untouched, still wearing yesterday’s clothes and pretty much the same. 

Her hangover was quite bad however. She dashed out of her bed to her bathroom to vomit. She may have had too much to drink yesterday... Not that it wasn’t obvious enough. 

Her recollection of her memories stops to when the tattoo artist offered her some water and then falling asleep. She didn’t know how she got home. Hopefully Nino- even though she left him in the bar, went to look for her. Otherwise... how the hell did she get home? 

After an intense vomiting session, Marinette went to investigate. Her living room is now half-cleaner than it was before. Nino appeared from the kitchen. 

“I heard you ran to the bathroom. Made you some coffee” 

“Is this your apology for encouraging me to get a tattoo yesterday?” 

Nino scratched his head. “We were both drunk, let’s forget about it” 

“Alright, Alright” They sat down for coffee. 

“So...” Marinette started, “How did I get home?” 

“Rented a cab and looked for you everywhere.” Nino sighs “My drunken brain made the search longer. Turns out you were at the nearest tattoo parlor. 

“I didn’t do anything stupid right? Last thing I remember was falling asleep...” 

“The guy who worked there said you yelled and cried. Other than that, you were already asleep when I found you.” 

Marinette cringed “That’s embarrassing!” 

Nino raised a brow “Worse things could’ve happened like getting a drunk tattoo, ending up on gang territory, getting drugged then boned by a stranger or probably even a group. You’re lucky he was nice guy” 

“I feel like I owe him an apology...” 

“You and me, both” Nino agreed “Anyway, you should go take a day off, get a haircut, go to the spa, go shopping, whatever you think would help you. Look for a job once you don’t look horrible anymore. You won’t be able to find a job looking like _that” Nino_ pointed at Marinette’s face. 

“I’ll be cleaning your flat. Don't argue with me, as much as I don’t like cleaning, it’s the least I can do to help you out. I have work at 8 though so the time you get back, I’ll be gone” 

“Thanks Nino, the bathroom nee-” 

“The pipe is broken right? I already called a plumber.” 

“Since when did you become so responsible?” 

“Since you became a lot more irresponsible than me” 

Marinette chuckled. “Thanks” 

“Just get your life back together.” 

<>

A day spent at the salon. It was going to take a toll on her savings but Marinette needed this. A fresh new start! By afternoon, Marinette already felt like she was starting her life over again. Even Nino can give decent advice apparently, or was it Alya’s work behind the scene? 

It might have been Alya. Nino just didn’t mention it because he knew that Marinette didn’t want Alya to worry about her while she was out of town. 

It still felt too early for her to go back. And so, she decided to stroll town. 

That was until her feet led her to the tattoo parlor. 

She was reluctant to come in at first but she fought her embarrassment and went in. 

The warm setting and acoustic music greeted her. Unlike most tattoo parlors, this parlor had a vintage afternoon café feel to it, except if you go further the back to where the tattoo act happens. Other than that, the waiting lounge can be easily mistaken as a café so most would step back to make sure they were in the right shop. 

It the same shop she was at her bottom and cried in front of a stranger, there she was feeling reborn. The only thing missing was a stable job but other than that, she felt closer to who she was before. 

It was like heaven had heard Marinette's worries, he was there. 

Like yesterday, he was sitting on the black sofa, probably sketching tattoo designs while humming to the acoustic music. Wearing a long-sleeved Jagged stone top with the sleeves rolled, exposing his arm filled with tattoos. 

He dropped his pencil when he noticed her and gave her a warm smile. 

“You seem better” He reached for his pencil. 

“Thanks... for yesterday...” Marinette mumbled, fighting her embarrassment 

Luka motioned Marinette to seat down. She nervously sat down beside him. 

“Drunks are no stranger in this shop, we get them almost every day. I don’t know who thought building a bar near a tattoo parlor was a good idea however.” 

“Maybe it’s because the parlor doesn’t look like a tattoo parlor at first glance? It’s kinda cozy here too” 

“My sister’s girlfriend’s family owns this place. They look classy in the outside but they’re also very punkish” He chuckled. 

“You have a sister?” 

Luka nods “A younger one.” He stares at her, examining her features once again mesmerized by her bluebell eyes. “Come to think of it, you’re probably around her age.” 

“Really? I’d like to meet her then.” Marinette exclaimed. 

“Meeting a stranger’s little sister? Don’t you think you should get to know the person first?” He teased her. 

“Ah...” Marinette blushed “I’m sorry, I forgot we haven’t introduced ourselves yet! My name is ma-ma ...Marinette! Marinette Dupain-Cheng" She offered a hand shake. 

“Mamamarinette” He chuckled. “Nice to meet you” He shook her hand. 

“Luka. Luka Couffaine” 

“Couffaine?” Marinette blinked “Your sister doesn’t happen to be Juleka right?” 

“You know her?” 

Marinette nods “She was a classmate of mine. Juleka is really nice, we used to hang out often but I don’t think I’ve ever met you before. Even when I slept over...” 

“That’s because I stayed in my school’s dorm back then. No wonder you’re so familiar. I’ve seen you before.” 

Marinette chuckles “Such a small world” 

“Maybe...” Luka smiled. 

Silence filled the room as the two try to think of anything to talk about. 

“So... you draw?” Marinette asked. It was a stupid question, she knew that. He was a tattoo artist. Tattoo artist draw on people’s skin for a living for God’s sake. 

Luka chuckled at Marinette’s awkwardness. “Do you want to see?” He showed her his sketchbook filled with tattoo design. Roses, skulls, guitars, whatever floats your boat, even banana man. 

“You’re pretty good at this. The designs are so intricate!” 

“Thanks. Hey... before you were fired, what did you do for a living?” Luka asked trying his best not to sound pushy “I mean... If you want to talk about it...” 

Marinette sighs 

“it’s alright. I’m a fashion designer. I even made the design for that shirt your wearing. The album art for some of Jagged stone’s album too” 

Luka’s eye widened 

“You made this? Woah, you’re pretty impressive aren’t you Marinette?” 

“I wouldn’t say impressive... I’m broke and jobless, that’s nowhere near impressive. I had such a bright start... Made some designs for international stars, traveled the world, finished my portfolio and my collection. I don’t know where I went wrong!” Marinette blinked her tears back. From there, Marinette confided him about everything- everything job related of course. The Adrien thing will be something she’d rather just want to forget. 

“If you ask me, you’ve done great. You just need some sort of a breakthrough” 

“A break through?” 

“You said you wanted to start your own boutique, don’t you?” 

“Yeah, but without investors it would be impossible” 

“There’s this website that works like a catalog for people. Like if you want to commission someone to make you a song, you can look for someone to hire there. Maybe you can free-lance for a while?” 

“Freelance?” She pondered. “Maybe I should give it a try... What's it called?” 

“it’s called ‘Miraculous’, I can send you the link to the website later...” Luka scratches his head “Your number?” He blushes a bit. 

“Oh sure, can you give me your phone?” Marinette didn’t seem to notice. 

“I don’t think I have it with me... Can you write it on my arm for me?” Luka showed her his other arm which had no tattoos and offered a pen. 

“Arm? Wouldn't it be better to write it on your sketchbook? You might think of it as a tattoo and wash the numbers off?” She gave him a look of confusion. 

Luka shook his head “No, I think I’d remember it more on my arm” 

“If you say so...” Marinette held his arm to support it. The muscles seemed to be well toned as expected. She took off the pen’s lid and began writing down her number, adding her signature below to spell her name. Many had made the mistake of adding an extra ‘n’. Therefore, it was a subtle way of telling him the correct spelling. 

Luka thanked her. He smiled and examined Marinette’s handwriting. 

Something piqued Marinette’s curiosity. 

Skin and ink were something he was undoubtedly familiar with. She wondered how getting a tattoo would feel. It certainly looks painful, how strong or resistant does someone have to be in order to tattoo almost a whole arm without crying? 

They say the pain depends on the location of the tattoo, places like the forearm, shoulder and outer cause least discomfort. Places like the wrists, ankles and feet are some that hurts enough to pass out however. Come to think of it, Luka’s other arm is covered from wrist to neck. 

Out of nowhere, a thought of Luka holding a tattoo machine while holding her arm popped in her mind. 

No, no, no, no... Marinette doesn’t dare get a tattoo. 

Instead... 

“Will you write yours down too?” Marinette offered her arm. 

<>

Fate seemed to have favored him. 

The drunken lady he met yesterday appeared before him. This time, sober. It looks like she had gone shopping. Her face looks better now too. He was too delighted that fate had allowed them to meet again that he didn’t realized his pencil fell. He greeted her, she thanked him. 

He didn’t want her to leave so soon, so he told her to take a seat. 

This time, he’ll ask for her name. 

She sat beside him. Luka tried not to gaze at her for too long. 

The girl commented about the parlor’s interior. She seems to like the vibe it gave. Her expression was a lot softer than how she carried her drunken self yesterday yet, she was as fragile as a lullaby just like yesterday. 

Luka used this as an opportunity to bring up the topic of his sister... If his theory was correct then... It would make sense why she was so familiar. 

Fate really seemed to favor him. 

A friend of his sister. Fate has tied them in contact with each other. 

He tried to recall where he had seen her before, perhaps it was that time when he encountered her sister bidding her friends goodbye outside her home when he was visiting? Or that time when Juleka was sick and some of her friends came to visit. He can remember Rose because she was her girlfriend and the others because of the band but he had never had an encounter with Marinette. 

Until now. 

He might’ve seen her somewhere else too. 

Luka must’ve been silent for too long, Marinette tried to bring up a topic. He chuckled at her awkwardness and effort and gave her his sketchbook to view. 

Would right now be a good time to ask? 

_“Hey, before you were fired...”_ There was no turning back now. He saw how Marinette’s expression changed. He felt his heart stung. Perhaps it wasn’t a good time? 

Marinette told him it was fine however, she told him everything and he saw how much she tried to hold her tears back. It took Luka quite an effort to stop his hand from getting close to her. 

Right now, even though she needed company, he believes that it’s a _solution_ that she truly needed. Her friend had already accompanied her to drinking last night. This time, she needed something much more work centric. 

And so, he offered her a substitution for her store plan. An online shop. Marinette seemed to have taken an interest. Again, he felt delighted. What came out next was unexpected and went with the flow. 

_“Your number?”_

Even though asking for someone’s number was a normal occurrence. He still felt anxious. He scolded his self in his thought for acting like a teenager. 

_“Can you give me your phone?”_

_“I don’t think I have it with me... Can you write it on my arm for me?”_

This was a lie. His phone was hiding behind the pillow beside him. He hoped Marinette didn’t notice. He didn’t know why he lied exactly but he just felt like it and acted on impulse. 

He took note of each stroke of Marinette’s handwriting. Pretty, delicate and clean, just like how he would describe the person herself. Luka chuckled when Marinette signed her name at the end. Maybe it didn’t cross her mind that she was labeling him. He began to remember all the past customers who visited the shop to tattoo their lover’s name. Luka never agreed to any of those requests, he didn’t want the person to regret their decision in case _‘that’_ happened. 

Her handwriting was indeed pretty. Luka smiled. 

He didn’t expect her to ask him to write down his number on her skin, however. 

She showed him her arm and he held it. 

She was delicate and soft. 

Her hands looked overworked yet they still remain youthful. 

It looked so pure. Luka couldn’t help but think of tattooing something. It was a blank canvas to Luka. He wanted to color it but at the same time he wanted to preserve the blank look as it fits her purity. 

Luka lightly rubbed Marinette’s wrist as he prepares to write. 

Softly, he started to write the numbers. It felt like just one mistake; he’ll tear her skin. He watched as the black ink covered the pale skin. As a reply to Marinette’s signature, he placed his as well. Somehow, he felt like he made a mistake. Maybe it’s because he’s used to engraving with permanent ink? He was worried, maybe it wouldn’t come off? Still it was a mesmerizing view, he held on to her a lot longer than he was supposed to. 

He freed Marinette’s arm from his hold. 

<>

“There, all done” Luka smiled 

Marinette felt her face heat up after Luka’s gentle touch. She managed to shake her thoughts away however. Business comes first. She also didn’t want another Adrien at this point. 

“Thanks, it’s getting late, I should go.” She bid him goodbye. Before she left the place, she turned back to face him “Would you like to grab some drinks next time?” 

Luka chuckles “Maybe not. Last time someone got drunk, she wanted a big ‘Loser’ tattoo on her forehead. Also, I don’t drink too often. Wanna have lunch instead? Or you can always just come by whenever you feel like it.” 

“Maybe when I finally _work_ things out. See ya”

<>

By the time Marinette got home, Luka had already messaged her about the website. 

Her place was also considerably clean now too. Except for the closet where Nino had probably jammed her belongings in. Other than that, the place looked decent. After a quick shower and a light dinner that she bought home, Marinette was ready to start working. She slapped her cheeks and smiled brightly. 

“It’s time for work” 

The registration went smoothly. The challenge was deciding her brand and her logo. She could go with her name as a brand. She had already made designs under her name so maybe she’ll be able to attract a lot of customers? ‘Marinette’ was a safe bet. 

Somehow, it didn’t sit right with Marinette. Maybe because it reminded her of the the past? 

_‘_ _T_ _he past...’_

She wondered. 

Maybe all this time, she was clinging to her past? No, her old works. Maybe it was because she hasn’t experienced failure for a long time now? Graduating on top, getting offered a lot of work just before graduation, traveling around the world to come up with inspiring ideas and experience-- 

How did it led up to traveling anyway? It felt like she had a plan and had gotten lost along the way. If only she remembered what she was thinking back then. Marinette sighs and began to fiddle with her pen. She gazed on her arm and saw the faint traces of ink. The numbers were almost off but his name was intact. Oddly enough, it felt like she was wearing his name on her arm. Her thoughts suddenly drifted to _him._ The bracelet that she gave and the bracelet that she received. She didn’t know if he still kept the charm with him but... 

Marinette stood up and reached for a pink chest box under her bed. She slid the box out and took out a key taped under the bed. She opened the box to reveal an octagon shaped-dark wood box that had a Chinese-like red pattern on top. Below the octagon box was another box which she brought out. She took out a stack of journals and among them was a slightly burned pink journal and the bracelet he gave her. 

She only gazed at the damaged journal before returning it. After that, she started reading her diary. She read starting from when she was still in middle school. She would end up laughing, giggling or even try to hide her face from all the stupidity she had done. But Marinette couldn’t bring herself to read about _him._ Even if years had already gone by, she can still feel heavy guilt for what had happened. And so, she skipped a lot of parts. It was already dawn when she reached for the last journal before she had left for abroad. 

It covered her last year in fashion designing to the party Alya and the others threw for her. After an hour of reading, a diary entry stood out to Marrinette. 

> _Dear diary,_
> 
> _Next week is our graduation. After the stressful months of work, we’re finally able to graduate! The recommendations and offers hadn’t stopped. Today, a woman from_ _Syvone’s_ _came and offered me a position and even my very own office! She said that the chairman himself offered it. Even now, it still all doesn’t feel real to me. Apparently, the director is my classmate, Sofie’s distant relative. Something about her father’s uncle’s cousin. I didn’t get it but she said he visited our booth and saw my potential. It’s really flattering especially since I only designed two dresses out of_ _the thirty-three_ _of them._
> 
> _He commented how I’m still ‘a bit unrefined and needs more experience around the world but definitely a diamond’._
> 
> _To others, it seemed like a criticism but he was right. I still needed experience. There’s a while world out there and as much as how I love Paris. I want to expand my wings and paint the whole world red!_
> 
> _I had already saved up while in I was studying fashion. Working part time while maintaining a scholarship was really difficult but here I am! I’ve come such a long way and I want to learn more._ _Syvone’s_ _offer will surely help me in the future, I can earn money while traveling too. But somehow, I don’t think I want to accept it. Even though it’s such a good offer, when I look ack to how much I worked, I think I want to continue this journey by myself. I want to clear my own path. Start from the bottom and then to the top by my own._
> 
> _It maybe ambitious but I want to be like my great grandmother who made her own_ _legacy._ _Anyway, I should probably start working on the sweater I promised Alya._
> 
> _Good bye for now my dear diary!_

Just around two to three years ago, Marinette dreamed of creating her own legacy. The dreams and passion she had were slowly forgotten. Maybe she could just waltz in Syvone’s and hope they still offer a position? 

At this point, Marinette can do with whatever. 

But. She also wanted to honor the resolve she had before. To create a legacy on her own without the support of a company to clear the path for her. 

The old Marinette wanted a challenge. She wanted to be a free spirit who will work her way to the top. When did she start forgetting about this free spirit of hers? Since when had she became so dull and negative? 

She had already accomplished so much on her own. So much that it wouldn’t even compare if she entered the company to help her with it. 

Like how, he had traveled and met a lot of celebrities by chance, like Jagged stone or even the actress Genevieve during her tour, the impromptu three-month wedding dress in Budapest, the dazzling Japanese kimono she made with a Japanese native. The history of Silks in China. Even accessory making and sho- 

Marinette then realized she wasn’t seeing the whole picture all this time. 

As if a huge burden suddenly disappeared on her chest, she laughed. 

That’s right. 

She had already made the first steps during her tour. Aside from her portfolio. She met countless people and made countless dress of different culture. 

One of the things she learned through her journey is that 

You don’t have to rush things. Enjoy the scenery while you walk. Don’t rush to end. 

She stood up from the chair she had been sitting on for hours. 

An estimation of two months. That was her deadline. It felt like a gun pointing towards her head, waiting to shoot, at first. Now, it felt like a challenge. 

“It’s not impossible. I will do it!” Marinette cheered to herself. 

Marinette felt connected to herself again. She will no longer rush. 

Just as she was about to go back to planning, she spotted a lady bug climbing Tikki’s old fish bowl. The ladybug reminded her of Tikki. The abundant red and the black spots. Tikki was primarily red and her fins were black, she also had a black dot or two. 

It used to be painful to see things that reminded her or Tikki, but now it felt like Tikki was encouraging her. 

Ladybugs are believed to be a sign of good luck, perhaps today is when things will finally start turning over? 

Marinette smiled warmly as she walked back to her computer to resume the registration. 

_‘L a d y b u g’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me but this chapter went all over the place. It went so off out-line I had to redo a lot....  
> Uh... I'll leave further editing to the future or some sort... as always...  
> Depressed Mari feels so wrong, Maybe that's what I was unconsciously thinking while everything went off script. Honestly, i think Mari is Mari cause of how optimistic she is  
> Also, I didn't mention this last chapter but my writing is rusty from not writing for so long and a mess from writing non-literary text.


	3. Jobs and Teacups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Marinette's resolve, she starts getting her life back together

Since that night, Marinette started picking up her old routine back when she was traveling around the world. Waking up early to jog, looking for inspirations and generally outdoor activities. 

She also decided that maybe it was best to visit her parents and grandfather from time to time. Helping out at the bakery to earn extra funds didn’t sound as bad as she how she thought it would. In fact, her parents were grateful for the extra help. As they got older, the amount of bread they were producing reduced by a large quantity. With Marinette’s help, they were able to produce almost the amount they used to bake before. 

Marinette was slowly picking up her old pace. She started calling Alya as frequent as before too. At first, she was reluctant but Alya was her dear friend. She must’ve worried her when she suddenly couldn’t find the time to talk to her. If she was in Alya’s place, she would be so worried she might fly back to Paris just to check up if Alya was still alive. 

Turns out Alya was behind the scenes after all. Nino had been keeping updates about her since he saw her on the way to the grocery. During their loss of contact, Alya wanted to go back home just to check if Marinette was still breathing. However, going back early would mean quitting her job. This opportunity was something that only occurred once in a blue moon. She had to put trust in Marinette that she’ll be alright. Luckily. Even though it took her more than half a year, the Marinette she once knew is back 

Nino also came to hang out every now and then. This time, no drinking. 

Still, even though Marinette had her precious outlook back. Her job was still suffering. 

Ladybug- despite her brilliant and innovating portfolio, did not receive a single request. 

Not a dress, not a suit, not a shirt and not even a poster. 

It was troubling her but Marinette knew that whining about it won’t help. And so, she continued working on her designs. 

It was during one of her jogs that she encountered Luka. Maybe it was the sun, maybe he had glitter all over, maybe it’s been a long while since she saw Luka, but when they saw each other, he felt ... Sparkly... as how she’d described it. The two exchanged greetings and decided to have breakfast in a café nearby. 

“Something has changed,” Luka started. “You look so bright” He smiled. 

“You should look at yourself, you look so sparkly and radiant. Were you always this radiant? Wait, don’t tell me you’re actually a secret vampire who sparkles in the sun? I’ll let you know that my blood doesn’t taste good at all” Marinette teased. 

“I wouldn’t know until I taste it” Luka played along “Spare me a few drops? Just for reference.” 

“Only if you want to be poisoned.” 

“I’ll be a vampiric snow white then. You should take responsibility if you don’t want to go to jail for murder. I heard they don’t serve waffles for breakfast in prison.” He stole a strawberry from Marinette’s plate of waffles 

“Hey! You have your own strawberries.” Marinette pointed at Luka’s plate of French toast. 

“Oh, I didn’t notice” He ate the strawberry while feigning innocence. Marinette pouts. He chuckles slides his strawberry on Marinette’s plate, replacing the strawberry he took. “There, we’re good now?” 

“You tried to steal my strawberry...” 

“I’ll buy you a parfait then? Sounds good?” 

“Deal!” Marinette beamed “But save them for next time, there’s a café near Dupont that have the best parfaits. I haven’t been there for a while but the manager is a good friend of mine.” 

“Do you mean the one with the bear mascot? I think my sister and her girlfriend took me there before, I can’t remember the name but I think it was something orange...” 

“Fluffy Bear Dream with a Twist of Orange. It’s a long name, my friends call it orange bear instead.” 

“The blueberry parfait was really good. Juleka still brings me takeout sometime” 

“They have cheesecakes and a lot of variations too! Let’s visit next time” 

“Sure” Luka replied enthusiastically. Marinette took a sip from her drink and observed Luka. He was obviously feeling delighted about something. “Did something happen?” Marinette wondered. 

“Huh?” puzzled Luka “Oh, do I really look that happy?” his fingers touched his mouth as if he had accidentally told her a secret. Marinette nods. 

“It’s just that when... someone’s at their bottom, the world looks dimmer. Your mood affects how you see things.” He explained “When I saw you doing well earlier, I felt really happy... You’ve been doing great.” 

“Like a sense of accomplishment?” 

“Something like that...” 

“Recently, I feel like I’m slowly getting back on the right track. It was thanks to your idea, it reminded me of... myself” 

“Glad I could help. Has someone ordered something from you?” 

Marinette blinked. That was a direct hit to her situation. She chuckled awkwardly, trying to come up with an excuse. Luka sensed her nervousness but said nothing. 

“I- There was someone who ordered but—a bear ate hi- his shoe- so... he’s in Greenland looking for a... pirate?” 

Luka stares at her blankly processing Marinette’s excuse. She sighs as he tries to hold his laughter but ends up laughing anyway. 

“That’s the only concern I have right now...” 

Luka scratched his chin. 

“I should’ve invited you sooner then.” Marinette gave him a confused look. 

“What do you mean?” She asked. 

“It’s a common problem online. People don’t want to spend on unverified artists. There’s a risk to it even if the site has some protocols for it.” 

“That makes sense...” 

“Which is why... Would you like to design our band’s costume for the music festival?” 

Marinette blinked. Maybe not just once but thrice. 

“You’re in a band? I knew you were a music lover and probably knows how to play an instrument or two because of your tattoos but I didn’t expect you to be in a band... Which is something I should've expected since someone who- I'm sorry I’m getting carried away again.” Marinette apologized. 

“Anyway, we can make a formal request over the site and give you a review. That way we can beat two birds with one stone. One review won’t make your page overflow with requests but it will help you get a feel for it. We’ll pay you of course.” 

“That sounds like a great idea. Thank you so much!” Marinette gushed 

“Great, we have practice for the show later. I can pick you up if you’d like” He offered 

“No thanks, I don’t want to trouble you. How about your work at the parlor?” 

“It’s no trouble Mari. I don’t have a shift today. Even if I did, my sister’s girlfriend would drag me out of work. She did that a couple of times now.” Luka hinted. 

“I think I have a couple of chores to run, so it’s better to go there myself, where are you playing at?” 

Luka bit his lip, he decided not to press further. “Home, the ship. Four pm.” 

<>

Just like what Luka arranged, the notification for the request came. She accepted it and started preparing her tools for work. She spent some time researching bands of different types for reference too. Even though the best reference would always be the customer itself, it wasn’t bad learning about what others wore. 

Around 3:50, she arrived at the ship. Ten minutes early, better early than late right? She started going down the stairs to the dock until she saw a familiar figure near the last stair. Playing a mellow melody on his guitar, Luka was waiting. 

He noticed Marinette and stopped playing his guitar. “You’re early” 

“Just ten minutes. Are the others here yet?” 

“They’re already inside, we don’t start group rehearsals until 4:30 though” 

Luka led Marinette inside the ship. As they reached the rehearsal-like room they use for practice below the ship. Marinette couldn’t believe her eyes. 

“Marinette!” Marinette instantly recognized the sweet voice; it was none other than Rose. “I miss you so much!” Rose gave her a big hug “How have you been? Have you met someone new? Did you finally meet the love of your life and adopted two pet hamst-” Juleka pulled Rose away before she squeezed the life out of Marinette. 

She also saw Ivan with Mylene sitting across the room, they both stood up to greet Marinette. Each one of them expressed how much they missed Marinette. After a commemorative group selfie taken by Rose, they were settled and ready to discuss business. 

“Luka told me you needed someone to design your costumes. Do you have any idea what you would like?” 

“Ah, so this was the surprise he was talking about! Anything Marinette designs is guaranteed to be perfect after all~” Rose said enthusiastically “Ooh! What color should we go for? I honestly think pink would be the prettiest~” 

Marinette examined the group. “Pink does suit Rose best but I think the others might want something a little more... less pink? What’s your band called?” 

“Kitty section” Juleka replied “Were going to perform for the upcoming music festival. The costume doesn’t need to be something grand...” 

“Come to think of it, didn’t Marinette Jagged Stone’s merch?” Mylene spoke 

“The shirts were pretty cool! I still have mine.” Ivan added. The group was about to get off topic to Marinette’s previous designs when she reminded them of the costumes. The discussion went on switching back and forth from pink and band shirts when Marinette noticed the clock. 

“It’s about time, you should all start practicing... Why don’t you rehearse while I come up the ideas? It would be a great way to get to know your band Afterall.” 

Practice went smoothly without a hitch. Mylene stayed beside Marinette the whole-time while supporting the group during the breaks. Around the time practice ended, Marinette presented the group with a different yet similar to each other band shirts. The shirts screamed each band member’s individuality while also giving a similar vibe to each other. 

Though they were different from each other, everyone unites with each other. A perfect match to one another. 

Their logo was a cat like skull and a unicorn horn based on their original song ‘I love Unicorns’ which Mylene stated, started the band. The color of the shirt was designed to be black but Marinette made the prints neon. Marinette also came up with some accessories, but she’ll save those for later. 

In the end, they decided to trust Marinette with whatever design she would come up with. Giving Marinette a lot of freedom would probably make it more special. 

The band cheered and praised Marinette. She was about to pack her stuffs and leave when the group invited her for dinner. “We haven’t seen each other for a while! You don’t have to prepare the shirts as soon as possible. The music festival is still far ahead. Please Marinette? I’m sure Luka wouldn’t mind if you join us?” Rose begged her. 

She couldn’t say no to Rose’s sparkling puppy eyes so she agreed. Tonight, was apparently pizza night. Luka’s treat. The group sat in a booth enough to fit all six of them and chattered. Their orders arrive while they were catching up with each other. 

“I’m surprised, I didn’t expect you to show up out of nowhere with my brother.” Juleka mentioned. “I don’t think the two of you have ever met before when we were school mates, when did you meet?” 

Luka coughed with a mischievous smile on his face. Marinette wasn’t going to allow him to tell them how they actually met. 

“We met at his workplace” Marinette said before Luka spoke. “I was looking for some... experience so I dropped by to... look at his works?” She explained 

“Oooh, what kind of experience? Did you finally get over A-... I mean, did you finally decide to look for a bad boy that will make your heart sway and take you away? That is so romantic~ Luka is a perfect match!” 

“She meant art experience, Rose...” Juleka remarked while softly pinching Rose’s arm under the table. This was heading somewhere unpleasant, Luka thought. 

“O-oh...” Rose whispered “But Marinette, you are really falling behind. Juleka and I are dating now and Mylene and Ivan are long married.” 

“Married?” Marinette inquired “Since when? Congratulations!” She gushed. 

The couple thanked Marinette. 

“We’ve been married for almost a year now. I was going to pick you as one of the bridesmaids but you were abroad. I didn’t want to disturb your trip” Mylene stuttered. 

“Too bad, I really wanted to see you in a wedding dress...” Marinette mumbled 

“To be honest, I was planning to ask you to design my dress for the occasion. But I heard you were making clothes for celebrities and my mother showed me grandma’s wedding dress. I thought it was the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen so...” Mylene tried to explain, it was evident that she was nervous. 

“Oh, no! Please don’t worry about it, I understand. I’m not mad if that’s what you’re thinking...” Marinette smiled. Mylene heaves a sigh of relief. 

“I can at least show you the pictures” Mylene took out her phone and gave it to Marinette. Mylene wasn’t lying about how gorgeous the wedding dress was. Her eyes sparkled as she examined the intricate beaded patterns. Truly a work of art. As she scrolled through the photos, she began to recognize her old friends. Even Alya and Nino were there. Marinette wondered why the two never told her about the wedding, that is until she saw another familiar face. 

Adrien. 

“Adrien... was there?” Marinette stuttered 

The group remained silent, Mylene and the others were gazing at each other, waiting for someone to reply about it. Luka, who had no idea what was going on, sensed the heavy atmosphere. It was as if they were waiting for the dead to come take them away. He gazed at Marinette who looked quite perplexed. He raised his brow questioningly. It felt disturbingly unsettling to him. 

Just what happened between them? 

“They never told you then...” Juleka broke the silence “Adrien visits Paris from time to time... We even played as a band with him. I’m sure Alya and Nino don’t mean any harm! It's just-” Juleka was losing her cool. 

“I know... I understand. Don’t worry about it.” Marinette reassured her. 

There was silence again until Rose decided to press further. She was too concerned if Marinette had actually gotten over the incident. The idea that Marinette was still bearing guilt over something that happened several years ago haunts her. 

“But Marinette, it must’ve been painful for you, after all you lo-” Marinette raised her hand to signal Rose to discontinue the topic. “I’m alright, it’s okay. It happened years ago. Hey, so can you tell me more about your band?” 

With that, Marinette was able to change the topic. The heavy atmosphere soon dispersed one by one. Everyone soon forgot about it except for two. 

Luka bit his lip. 

<>

“I think I can finish the designs this week.” Marinette reported. The group had gone separate ways for the night. Rose had pestered Marinette to let Luka walk her home for safety, Afterall, walking someone home at night is romantic, isn’t it? 

“Do you want to watch practice tomorrow?” 

Marinette shakes her head, “I’ll probably spend the day sketching. I’ll come by to watch next time when I get a clearer image of my ideas” 

“Alright” Luka hummed. 

After a somewhat exhausting night, it was best to spend the rest serenely. Marinette was also trying to sort her ideas in mind so no one spoke. Luka watched Marinette as she gets lost in her own world. She was probably thinking about the designs she came up with, how to improve them, the material and etc. Every so often she would almost hit her head, bump into something or cross the road during a green light. Luckily, Luka was there to stop her. He would only talk to her to ask the directions every now and then. They walked until they reached Marinette’s place. 

“Well... This is my stop. Thank for walking me and making sure I didn’t get hit” She simpered. 

“No problem, it would be bad if you get into an accident” 

“Good night, Luka” Marinette waved 

“Good night, Marinette” Luka waved back. 

<>

Marinette spent the next two days finalizing her design and plan. She had already listed the items that she will need and estimated the budget. Marinette had to pick out materials will best suit the design whilst making it affordable. Setting the price was part of the business, Afterall. 

She packed her sketchbook and dressed casually. She was going to visit the tattoo parlor where Luka worked at today. The members of the band will gather there to check Marinette’s designs since they don’t have practice today. It still felt a bit awkward to Marinette since not too long ago she cried like it was the end of the world back there, but Luka doesn’t seem like the type of person to talk about other people, she’ll manage. 

Once she arrived, the members were already having tea in the waiting lounge. It seems like they were regular visitors as they were as cozy as living room fireplace in the winter. 

“Marinette, we bought donuts. Do you like the glazed ones or the sprinkled ones? I recommend the sprinkled ones” Rose piped. 

“There’s also tea and coffee, which one would you like?” Mylene added. 

Marinette glanced at Luka, Wasn’t this his work place? Is it alright to disturb him like this? 

“Rose owns the place,” He answered Marinette before she could ask “She’s also my boss.” 

“No wonder the place looks so Rose” Marinette chuckled. Luka gestured her to sit beside him. 

“I finished the designs and the cost outline. I just need your approval.” Marinette showed them the designs she made. First the shirt which the group had already seen and then to the matching trouser and skirts. And then she showed them the final touches she made, cat-unicorn masks and shoulder pads- things. The group gushed over Marinette’s creativity. 

“The designs are so adorable. I can’t wait to see it in real life!” bubbled Rose as she hugged the sketchbook. “We're going to rock the music festival!” Cheered Ivan. 

“It’s settled then,” Marinette stood up preparing to leave “I’ll start shopping for supplies” 

“Leaving already?” Luka asked her, a bit disappointed. 

“Yeah, I want to get started as soon as possible.” 

“You should stay for tea, Marinette, it won't take too long.” Mylene smiled as she handed Marinette a cup of tea and a donut. “Take your time” 

Marinette placed the rim of the teacup to her lips. The aroma of the sweet drink was enough to convince her to stay for a while. She recognized the flowery scent it gave. “You made this tea yourself, didn’t you Mylene? I remember the scent. It still has the same relaxing effect as before.” 

Mylene softly nods her head. Suddenly, The door to the parlor opened and a brawny man showed up. He scanned the area and landed his eyes on Luka. 

“Luka,” The man greeted. “You got my design?” 

Luka nods and grabbed his apron that was behind him. “I finished it a while ago. Want to do it today?” The man smirks “Lead the way” 

“Marinette, I’ll have to go to work for now.” 

“Good luck then!” Marinette cheered. Luka smiles 

“Don’t cause trouble.” He ruffles her hair gently with one hand before standing up to leave. Marinette combs her hair with her hand to fix the mess. “Geez, you and your teasing...” He winks at Marinette before proceeding to the other room. 

“Is there anything between you and Luka?” Mylene wondered “You two look close.” 

“He’s just easy to get along with, that’s all” 

“He really is. But I think he’s really looking out for you. Isn’t he sweet?” Rose gushed 

“He’s really nice and not scary, everyone likes him. He likes to help others too.” Mylene added 

“He’s like a prince charming in a bad boy exterior” Rose pointed out 

“But many people take advantage of him for being nice...” Juleka commented “I wish he’d start choosing better people” 

“What do you mean, Juleka?” Marinette noticed the Juleka’s bitter tone and downcast expression. It was like she was remembering something unpleasant. 

In the end, she shakes her head with an insincere smile. “It’s nothing you should worry about.” She mumbles. The blue bell eyed woman glanced at her one last time before letting the topic go. 

They chatted for a while until Marinette decides to start shopping. 

<>

It’s been a while since Marinette visited the Lunatic streets. She can still hear the profanities from each store she passes through. She didn’t want to come here but some of the things she had listed were found in the supply shop near the boutiques. Luckily, she didn’t need to pass through the three shops she worked at. She didn’t want her day to be spoiled by her ex-boss. 

She went through all the shops she needed to visit, the sales people were quite delighted to see Marinette as healthy as when she first came to shop. They haven’t seen her for a long time that they were beginning to think something unfortunate happened to her. As celebration to her rebirth, some of the sales people even gave her a few freebies. She was buying the last few things she needed when another customer came in the shop. 

“Oh, little Marinette... It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” An old friend greeted her. Her name was Ellia Delfosse. She owns the flower shop near Marinette’s parent’s home. Marinette would frequently visit her shop back then to come up with new designs. Sabine would also invite her over for tea back then. 

“Mrs. Elliah... It’s rare to see you here, what brings you to the fabric shop?” Marinette inquired 

“Other than looking for cloth for embroidery, I was hoping to find something my daughter, Leila, would like to wear.” 

“Is there a special occasion?” 

“There’s a dance coming up and her homeroom teacher suggested her to sing” Mrs. Elliah explained “She told me that she didn’t want to perform unless she’s wearing something new and custom made, I didn’t want her to pass up the opportunity so I decided to canvas the expenses. To be honest, I was also looking for you. I asked your parents to contact you not too long ago.” 

“I haven’t checked my phone yet but... you want _me_ to make your daughter’s dress?” 

“Yes, if it’s no trouble. I’ll pay for your services, of course. Do I have to go to your boutique to make a formal request first?” 

Marinette shook her head “No, I don’t work in a boutique anymore, I started freelancing a few weeks ago. You can make a request at my profile in Miraculous.” She took out a calling card hidden in the front pocket of her bag “Here” 

Mrs. Elliah took Marinette’s calling card and examined it “This sounds just like you, little Marinette” 

“Would you like to room around to look for fabrics you might like?” Marinette asked the woman. 

“That’s what I came here for” The woman smiled. 

The two talked about what designs that would look pretty. While they were talking, Marinette made a mental note that Mrs. Elliah preferred conservative styles that were comfy and elegant at the same time. She was hoping her daughter wouldn’t pick something that showed too much skin or something that stands out in a bad way. 

“Unfortunately, she is already at the age where she’d rebel against her parents” Mrs. Elliah frowned. “She threw a tantrum when I didn’t buy her a new phone just recently. Leila doesn’t talk to us during meals anymore too. I hope she doesn’t give you a hard time. If she does, please be patient with her” 

“I think I can handle it, don’t worry” Marinette reassured Mrs. Elliah 

Mrs. Elliah smiled. Marinette had always been a problem solver. She felt safe entrusting her daughter’s outfit to her. 

“Thank you... Little Marinette” She said, softly. “You’ve always been so dependable... Your parents are proud” Ms. Elliah handed the cloth she chose for embroidery to the sales lady to wrap up and the money to pay for it. 

“N-no... I think I’m a mess actually...” Just weeks ago, she was fired, drunk and impulsive enough to almost get a tattoo. Marinette felt like she was deceiving the gentle lady. She felt guilty. 

“Sabine talks about you a lot. She said that you’re still work in progress but you’ll be as good as a cake after hard work, patience and time. Pretty, sweet and special. Little Marinette, you might be withering right now but soon, you’ll blossom beautifully again in spring. If flowers never wither, we can never fully enjoy their beauty. They wither so that we can treasure the vibrant moments more.” 

Marinette blushed. “Thank you... Mrs. Elliah...” She stuttered. 

“You’re welcome, dear...” She smiled “It seems like were done here.” The sales lady handed her the change and a paper bag that has the cloth inside. They started to walk home. Just before they go separate ways, Marinette stops and calls out to Ms. Elliah. 

“About Leila...” Marinette remembered the request, “When can I meet up with her?” 

“Hm... She’s quite busy with school recently, maybe during the weekends? Are you free by then?” 

“I’m free.” 

“Great, see you then!” 

Marinette went home victorious; she has gotten two offers in a single week. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than I expected...
> 
> unrelated note, Cocoppa play finally added Robin to Top brand... Yay.


	4. Snake fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why stress when you can play with a snake?

After days of work while waiting for the weekend to meet with her new client, the band’s outfits were halfway done. She had also managed to come up with a few designs that Leila might like. Her favorite among the designs was the coral blue ocean themed dress she designed inspired by Mrs. Elliah. The original plan for this dress was a mermaid style but after assessing the event, she figured it would be more convenient as a knee-length A-Line. 

Of course, even though she likes that design most, she wasn’t going to pressure Leila into picking that specific dress. Leila can pick anything she likes, it’s her dress choice not Marinette’s. 

With her portfolios and sketchbook inside her customized messenger bag, she entered the flower shop where Mrs. Elliah greeted her. 

“Ah, little Marinette, you’re quite early. Please come this way, Leila hasn’t left her room at all today but I already told her the other day you were coming” They climbed the stairs and stopped in front of a white door with pastel flower stickers. “Leila, Marinette is here to design your dress. Will you please open the door, honey?” Mrs. Elliah knocked. 

“This early?” A voice exclaimed. “Tell her to get lost and come back later!” 

Mrs. Elliah apologized to Marinette as she knocks louder. “Leila, it’s already 2 pm! You should’ve been wide awake hours ago. You haven’t even eaten lunch yet!” 

“I don’t want to! I’m trying to lose weight!” The voice screamed back 

“Oh dear, don’t make me fetch the spare keys...” Mrs. Elliah mumbled. It seems like Leila heard what her mother said and decided to open the door. “Get in, don’t touch anything!” Leila grabbed Marinette and locked the door. Marinette examined the room as Leila throw herself on her bed. 

Her room was covered with idol posters and celebrity magazines. Nail polish bottles, shoes and clothes were also scattered everywhere. The room was mostly covered in bright neon colors. Except for a single corner which remained clean. The corner stood out to Marinette, there were framed embroidery designs hanging on the wall, mostly flowers and intricate houses. The desk and chair below it were surprisingly empty, considering that the others were over flowing with clothes. 

“Hey, stop dawdling! Get on with it so you can leave!” Leila snapped. 

For such a gentle and caring mother to have a daughter similar to Chloe Bourgeois, life is full of surprises. Still, work is work. Marinette has to endure this kind of treatment for a while. 

“Alright then. I heard that you have a dance coming up, so your mo-” 

“Are you going to show me the dress or not? Stop wasting my time! You’re already wasting so much air and space, how much more are you going to take?” 

Marinette forces a smile. “Here's, my portfolio and some sketches that you might like then!” Marinette gave her the collection and watched the teenagers flip through it. The teenager snorts and looks at Marinette with disgust. One by one, Leila started criticizing Marinette's designs. This teenager was making her blood boil so much she can cook her in it. As she criticized them one by one, Marinette took a deep breath to control her anger. 

“To bland. Ew, what is this color? This dress looks like snow white’s dog puked all over it. This one looks like something my great, great, great, grandfather would wear. What are you? 300 years old?” Her complains continued until she reached the coral blue dress Marinette had just designed. Leila stops for a while to look at it. During her silences, Marinette’s eyes were filled with hope. The corners of her mouth also lifted, that was until Leila threw her sketchbook and portfolios at her. 

“Are you insulting me? That was the worst design I’ve ever seen, what was with that smile, huh? You think you’re so crafty? You suck! Ugh!” The teenager yelled at her as Marinette picked up the sketch book and portfolios. As soon as she picked them all up, Leila started dragging her out of her room. 

“Wait you-!!” Marinette exclaimed as she held on to the door frame to stop Leila from pushing her out. “Leila, Stop this!” 

“Oh, you’re my mom now? You own this house now? You should stop dreaming and go back to high school!” 

“Look!” Marinette finally had enough and restrained Leila’s hands and dragged her to her bed. “Look, I designed those dresses as a sample. You are not limited to picking from only those. Now-” 

“Let go of me!” Leila struggled. 

“I’ll let go of you once we’re finished talking!” Marinette strengthened her grip. “Now, what kind of dress do you want?” 

“Nothing that you can make.” Leila stuck out her tongue as she pouts. Marinette’s right eye twitched. Was she dealing with a teenager or a kid? She did not know anymore. 

“Look, I’ll visit you again next time with whatever design. If you still can’t pick anything, I won’t insist anymore. So, tell me.” 

Leila paused to think. “You won’t come here anymore?” 

“Only if you think they’re horrible again” 

“You promise?” Leila raised an eyebrow. 

“Yes!” Marinette exclaimed 

“Fine, let me go.” Marinette let go of the troublesome teenager. Leila dusted herself and glared at the adult. “I want something, sparkly, bright and short. And by short, I mean really short. Shorter than above-the-knees kind of short. Also, I want it to be backless as deep as-” Leila pointed out a dangerously low kind of cut. 

“Wha...what...?” puzzled, Marinette can only manage a blank look on her face. Leila took this chance to drag her out of the room “But that’s-” 

**_Slam!_**

The teenager slammed the door loudly, “But Mrs. Elliah won’t allow you to wear that! Even for an adult that’s way too suggestive!” 

“Then deal with it! You have three days to come up with something!” 

“What?” Marinette yelled. 

She tried knocking over and over to get the teenager to open the door but loud music suddenly erupted from the room. It was Leila’s way of telling her to get lost already, Marinette sighs and dragged her self-downstairs to find Mrs. Elliah waiting with a tray of food. 

Her face scrunched up with worry as soon as she saw Marinette. 

“I’m sorry for her attitude...” Marinette shakes her head. Mrs. Elliah had done nothing wrong. 

“I’m going to leave her lunch... will you please wait for me before you go?” Marinette nods and took a seat. After two minutes or so, Mrs. Elliah came back with a plate of sliced apples. 

“Here you go, eat up” Mrs. Elliah offered. “I’m sorry for Leila’s attitude... “ 

“Before I went abroad or design school, she wasn’t like this... Did something happen?” 

Mrs. Elliah shakes her head. “After she entered high school, she’s been ignoring us and spends most of her time in her room. I fear she was being bullied so I visited her school to talk to her teachers. They observed her for a few days and told me everything was just fine. In fact, she’s quite popular.” 

Mrs. Elliah rubs her temples. 

“Honestly, I don’t know what I should do anymore... Is it just a phase? Or does she have a problem she can’t talk about?” 

Marinette can only give Mrs. Elliah a comforting pat to the back as she didn’t know enough about the situation to offer advice. 

“I’m sorry... I shouldn’t trouble you with this...” 

<>

It’s been two days since her visit to Mrs. Elliah’s. As soon as she got home, she decided to release the stress she accumulated by going into total work mode. No phones, no distraction, just work. Everything that would distract her were shut away. 

She was lost in sewing and music when she heard a series of loud knocks. Marinette didn’t feel like checking the peephole and opened the door. Luka stood there with his hand ready to knock another time. 

“Luka?” puzzled Marinette. “What are you doing here? How did you find my house? I never told you where I lived.” 

“Marinette... I walked you home the other night.” 

“Oh, right...” Marinette stumbled. “Right... you walked me home... Come in...” She made way for Luka to enter and closed the door. “What brings you here?” She repeated her initial question. 

“You haven’t answered any of our messages or calls... I guess you can say I was worried” 

Marinette blinked. Right. She hasn’t checked her phone at all. 

“I haven’t checked my phone for two days...” Marinette started looking for her phone. She had been so busy; she didn’t even remember where she had placed it. After scavenging for a good three minutes with Luka constantly offering her to help look for it. Marinette found her phone below a pile of laundry. She turned it on and instantly, a landslide of notifications and messages greeted her. 

One of the messages was from Nino. 

_‘Out of town.’_

The message was short but Marinette knew what he was implying. _‘I’ll be out of town for a while. Don't do anything stupid that will make Alya raise hell”_

After going through all of the messages and notifications, she noticed that Luka was examining the work she had done. 

“I’m almost finished with the band’s outfit. Only a few more to go. You can rest assured.” Marinette walked towards the mess and threw the crumpled papers of failed designs. Luka noticed the sketchbook and papers filled with dress designs. Compared to the drafts of kitty section’s costume, the markings and scribbles were all over the place. Her hand writing was also illegible. 

“Did you get another customer?” 

“Yeah, I did. I have to design a dress for the dance... Speaking of which!” Marinette quickly gathered her designs and gave them to Luka... “What do you think of this? And this one? Check those designs too” Marinette was stacking papers in front of Luka. One pile after another. 

Luka skimmed through the papers and noticed that Marinette’s handwriting wasn’t the only thing decreasing in quality. The details of the dresses were also getting sloppy. He can also feel the negative and stressed energy Marinette was emitting. 

“Marinette...” Luka looked her in the eye “What happened to the customer?” 

“Wha...?” she was caught off guarded by the question. “What do you mean?” 

Luka gestured her to sit down. Marinette sighs. At this point she’ll end up confessing everything again. She sat down in front of Luka with a downcast expression and began to explain. 

“The new customer is the daughter of a family friend. It looks like she really hated my designs... I’m used to negative comments about my work but... a part of me got scared. Maybe I’m really getting rusty now... I couldn’t get a single positive reaction from her. Even Chloe—the daughter of the previous mayor, would show the tiniest bit of interest in my work but now... I’m not so confident. I feel so scared... Maybe I’m just over thinking...” 

Luka remained silent to think. He studied Marinette’s troubled expression, trying to find the right thing to say. He could just comfort her, but it probably won’t improve her mood altogether. 

“Marinette...” Luka stood up “Want to go out? I’ll treat you the parfait I promised you back then.” 

Marinette blinks at his sudden offer “Now...?” While she did not forget to take a shower and all that, she was still wearing clothes meant for home and was not at all in the mood to go out. 

Luka nods. 

To be fair, she was working nonstop the past two days so a break would so her some good. She hopes that Luka wouldn’t mind waiting a little. 

“Sure, let me just get dressed real quick.” 

“I’ll wait for you outside” 

<>

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Marinette sprinted towards Luka “It’s not that far so we can save money by walking” 

Luka nods in agreement and takes out his hand. “I’ll carry your purse for you” 

Marinette shakes her head “I can’t let you do that.” 

The man raised an eyebrow “Why not? Don't trust me enough not to steal? I’m hurt Marinette” he faked a sad tone and smirked. 

“No, of course not, it’s just tha-” Marinette glances Luka. He smiled when he caught her sight. Unconsciously he studied Marinette’s bluebell eyes. His eyes traced the shape of her face down to the tiniest details like the faint freckles below her eyes. Luka’s heart melted slightly, so did Marinette’s. She blinked and looked away before she traps herself. “Here you go...” She passed her purse to Luka. 

“Thank you” He slipped the purse on his shoulder. The two started talking about various things, mostly about traveling. Apparently, even Luka traveled for some time. Marinette had the upper hand in getting to point B and staying for a while whilst Luka had a lot more experience in reaching point B from point A. 

He wasn’t limited to living in a houseboat too, he lived in a bus and even a van as well. 

“So, you toured France in a renovated van?” 

Luka nods. “I traveled with my bandmates. You might have heard of them. We were called Checkmate” 

“You were in Checkmate?” Marinette exclaimed “Your songs were great! My friend who’s a dj always play their songs.” 

Checkmate was a band that became popular just a year ago. Nino would always mention the band whenever he encounters them in music-related events. Their songs had an energizing feel to it, it was her second favorite after her idol, Jagged Stone. Never did Marinette ever imagine she’ll be walking to eat parfait with her favorite band’s ex guitarist.

“Glad you liked them.” he chuckled dryly as they crossed the street. 

“Why did you leave? You could’ve still been traveling right now. They’re really popular too!” 

“I couldn’t stand being far from home for so long” Luka sighs and takes the opportunity to switch Marinette out of the curbside. “I wanted to see Juleka and mom.” 

“I understand...” Marinette mumbled, trying not to notice the gesture Luka made. Aside a certain blond model, she didn’t expect someone to be such a gentleman to her. It’s been a while since she went out with a single male too. They we’re just friends going out for parfaits, nothing romantic, nothing romantic.

For some reason, it was noisier today. Marinette examined the area and noticed that many people were coming in and out of the left side. Many of them were holding odd items such as a big bowl of feathers and giant tin can statues. As an artist, it piqued Marinette’s interest. “Luka... Is there something over there?” Marinette pointed.

“Now that you’ve reminded me of it...” Luka takes out his phone and scrolls through his calendar app. Ever since Rose came into their household, the family has been updated with what’s going on around town. Marked under the date today was ‘street fair’. He remembered Juleka and Rose inviting him to go together. While they both had good intentions, Luka didn’t want to third wheel the couple so he refused. The couple still tried to persuade the introvert to come, however, he politely declined each time they asked. “There’s a street fair today.”

He sensed Marinette’s intrigued reaction. Maybe she wanted to visit the fair but she was too shy to ask him? Though he wasn’t fond of crowded places, he wouldn’t mind visiting the fair with her. It’s been a while since he went to something like this anyway. He smiled and poked her cheek. Marinette who was busy, watching the woman dressed in flashy fashion, flinched at the contact. 

“Did I stare too hard?” Marinette apologized. 

“Do you want to go to the fair?” Luka asked the puzzled woman. Her eyes immediately sparkled like gems. “Really? Sure, if you want.” She stuttered. 

She was like a child receiving a gift from Santa. Rejoicing over something as simple as a street fair, Luka found her too adorable. 

He pinched her cheek lightly as she grumbled something about teasing her too much. The two made their way to the street fair where Marinette exulted over the simplest things. He noticed how much she admired handmade goods. She also seems to be familiar with various materials. No doubt Marinette had a lot of experience in creating things. 

They were viewing a shop selling bamboo pens when they encountered a snake charmer. The two snakes danced to the rhythm of the flute while a small mint colored snake slithered listlessly. Luka watched the little snake as it tries to hide itself behind the basket. The charmer sighs. 

“I’ll be right back” Luka excused his self from Marinette. She hurriedly bought two of the pens to try to catch up with Luka. 

Luka watched as the snake charmer play different tunes on his flute to get the little one to stand. The two big snakes were already dancing, why won’t the little one as well? 

“Aiya... This lil one over here is a defective one” The charmer sighs “his rebellious attitude will get him nowhere” 

Luka kneels in front of the listless small mint snake. “May I?” he asked if he can hold the snake. 

The Charmer raised an eyebrow. Watching a snake dance is one thing but asking to hold a snake is another. Usually, he wouldn’t agree even if it means losing audience but this little guy couldn’t even hold his head up. What harm would he do? He signals Luka to continue. 

Luka offers his hand to the little snake. He squiggled and raised his head a bit. Luka caught the interest of the audience and the snake charmer. He started whistling and the snake slowly slithered on his arm. Soon, the snake had wrapped itself Luka’s arm, hanging. 

“Would you look at that, the lil guy likes you!” The snake charmer chimed. “His name is Sass by the way, coz he has a lot of spunk” 

“Sass, huh...” Luka noted. “He has a pretty color.” 

The snake tilted his head, slithered to Luka’s shoulder and nuzzled him. 

“Aww... What a sweet noodle!” Marinette gushed. Luka might’ve not seen her earlier but she was already standing behind him since he started whistling. The snake looks at Marinette, feeling flattered. 

“Huh, sorry bud but you can't stay with him forever.” The charmer said. Sass seemed to understand what he said and curled up around Luka. 

“Don’t be a spoiled brat! Fine,” the Charmer sighs “Hey, can you do me a favor and take him around with you? Just for today. The brat has taken a liking to you. I’ve already fed him so you won’t have a problem at all” 

“Sure but...” Luka looks at Sass in the eye “be nice to Marinette alright?” 

The snake nuzzled him again. “I’ll take that as a yes” 

Snakes were supposedly terrifying creatures but seeing Luka and this snake get along like best buddies made Marinette’s heart melt so badly. She quickly took out her camera and began photographing the two together. 

“Sorry for leaving you just like that, Mari” He didn’t really mean to leave her earlier but something pulled him over to Sass. It was like Sass was calling him to be there at that moment. He can’t find the words to explain why, however.

Marinette shakes her head. “It’s no problem at all! Sass looks so adorable; I want to take him home!” After hearing her compliment, Sass nuzzled Marinette. “He likes you.” Luka chuckles. “That’s great.” 

“Luka, I saw some handcrafted jewelry on the way here, would you like to take a look?” 

He nods and follows Marinette to a wooden booth. The owner of the booth looks like a foreigner. His golden tan skin made him stand out from the rest. “Hello, Madam! Hello, Good Sir!” The man greeted fluently “Would you like to look at some jewelry? I noticed you have some bamboo pens over there. Good haul! Good haul!” He beamed. 

Marinette picked up a beaded necklace and began to examine it. “The patterns look so detailed...” She gushed. 

“Why of course! Everything I sell here has been handcrafted by yours truly! Every single work took me hours to make, my masterpieces!” 

Marinette took note of each detail as inspiration fill her mind. She was trying hard not to take out her sketchbook and start making designs. She glanced at Luka and noticed that he too was observing the carved details of the jewelry and beads. He must’ve also been coming up with new tattoo ideas. It ended up being beneficial for the two of them. Sass who wrapped himself around Luka’s neck showed interest in the sparkling beads too, he would stick his tongue out and look closely whenever Luka picks up something shiny. 

“Sass,” Luka called out. The snake tilted his head as if he was asking _“Did you call me?”_

“Do you like shiny things?” The snake wiggles. Luka chuckles and picks up shiny ring with a giant gem on top. “Look, your head can fit into this one” The snake looks at Luka as if he was pondering about something and wiggled his head into the ring. The ring sat on top of the little snake’s head like a bow on a little girl. Of course, Marinette was documenting the whole thing. 

“You look dazzling with the ring” Luka beamed. The snake wiggles and looks at Marinette. “He’s asking for your opinion, Mari” 

“Super adorable!” She chirped. The snake wiggles closer to Marinette and nuzzles her. 

“He likes getting complimented.” Luka whispers closely to Marinette after the snake nuzzled her. “Smart, isn’t he? He's been fishing a lot of compliments” they laughed. Puzzled, the snake looks at Luka as if he was being left out. 

“Don’t look at me like that...” Luka pouts. Sass looks away from them as if he was also pouting. 

“Fine,” Luka sighs. The snake peered at him. “I told her I was going to buy you this ring as a gift. Happy?” The snake’s eyes sparkled and squeezed Luka affectionately. At this point, it didn’t look like he has plans to let go. Luckily, he left space for Luka to breathe. 

“Sass,” Marinette called out to the snake, worried he might be squeezing Luka a little too hard. “Help me pick a gift for Luka.” The snake instantly loosened his grip on Luka to inspect the jewelry. The owner who had been watching the trio since the start laughs, “He’s quite an energetic fellow! You know what? I’ll give you a discount pal!” 

The snake seemed to understand the owner and started moving more enthusiastically. At this point, the three of them were wondering how was such a snake so smart? Sass favored the extra shiny ones. He spent a lot of time looking around that section. But when Marinette picked up a sea green bangle that featured a snake, his eyes lit up as if he found the one. He hovered close to Marinette. 

“You want this one?” The snake wiggles. “Alright then, Mister! I’ll buy this one.” 

“Oh! The snake has a good eye! What a rare fellow!” The snake wiggles as soon as he heard the owner compliment him. 

Marinette was about to take out her wallet from her purse, hanging on Luka’s shoulder, when Luka stopped her. “I’ll pay for it” 

Marinette shakes her head. “No, consider it as a gift! Let me pay for it.” They stared at each other. The internal battle seems to last a while as Marinette didn’t want to back out of her offer. Luka sighs and shuffles her hair, gentler than last time. Since she was so willing to buy it for him, why not let her then? Declining her will probably leave her feeling unsatisfied. However, he wanted to be the one who treats her. Therefore, Luka aimed for a stalemate. 

“Alright, I’ll get you one too so we’ll be equal.” Marinette was about to protest when Luka interjected. “No buts!” 

“Fine...” She whispered, unable to defy him.

“Such a sweet couple two are! I’ll give you another discount! This time, eighty-percent off on all purchases!” The vendor gushed. Marinette, Luka and the snake stared at each other. Other than being called a couple which they weren’t, how was this guy even handling a business? They were seriously worried how this guy was making a living.

“Sir... you don’t have to... and were no-” Before Marinette could finish her sentence, the owner interjected “Nonsense, Nonsense! I insist. Take a look at this collection too!” The owner took out a box and opened it. Inside were plain black earrings with a clear layer on top. Marinette just stared at the earrings, perplexed.

“These aren’t plain earrings! You take one of these and-” He took one of the designs and fetched the thermos and glass beside him. He filled the glass with hot water and tossed the earring inside the glass. A pattern of a gold rose formed. “Voila! These are thermochromic earrings! Just place em in hot water and they’ll show you a pretty design! I have a lot of other designs too. Here!” He gave them a pamphlet with other designs available. Flowers, sun, moon, stars, snakes and even a ladybug-like pattern. The lady bug pattern instantly caught both of their attention. 

“Ladybug huh...” Marinette whispered. Before she made her brand, the spotted pattern was enough to make her break down and cry. It reminded her of her dead fish, Tikki. She was her college and traveling companion throughout years. But now, the pattern gave her hope. It was her new good luck sign.

“How about a lucky charm for your business?” Luka offered. Marinette wondered how Luka always knew the right thing to say. Lucky charm… It was perfect! 

“That sounds great.” She smiled 

“But...” Luka trailed “You know, if you dump it in boiling hot water like that, your ears might get burned. Plus, The red disappears after cooling... sir, you are aware of that...right?” 

Time had stopped for the three of them upon realizing. The owner stops for a moment to think. He blinks, realizing it just now. “So that’s why Cindy told me not to sell these! It makes sense now!” 

With that said, the owner hasn’t thought of it at all. Marinette frowns. “Too bad... I was actually getting fond of the lucky charm idea” She was about to place the pamphlet back when Luka stopped her. 

“You could still get it. It could be like our own little secret” 

Marinette’s eyes sparkled like gems in the sun. “Secret huh? A secret lucky charm.” She smiled. “Alright, I’ll take it.” 

The vendor who was watching the two yelled happily. “This time it’s a secret earring! Next time is a secret engagement! I wish you too luck!” 

Embarrassed, the two of them rubbed their napes. They probably should tell the owner that they weren’t dating but... It would probably be harder to explain. In the eyes of others, the two look like newlyweds. At this age, who wouldn’t be getting ready to settle after all?

The owner tested the ladybug patterned earring if it works. After verifying that the earring does reveal a ladybug pattern. He cooled it with an ice and dried it for Marinette to try on. 

“You two have matching earrings. So lovey dovey! You planned this all along, didn’t you?” The owner nudged Luka’s elbow while raising his eyebrows up and down. 

Earlier, Luka was too occupied looking at the designs with Marinette. But now that they have finished picking, he realized that the vendor probably planned this all along. The vendor sure had a lot of tricks in his sleeve... 

After paying and bidding the vendor good bye, the two of them went through more stalls. They saw some street sculptures made from recycled materials and began taking as much as many pictures they can. They posed in front of a Soldier statue made from recycled cans, an elephant formed by wires and a lot more of the statues, even the snake posed enthusiastically. They were about to leave when Marinette grabbed Luka’s arm, cuddled him close and took a selfie. 

It all happened too quickly for Luka to process so he had a strange expression. Marinette tried to suppress a laugh. “You look weird.” 

His cheeks feel warm. “You just pulled me so suddenly that I...” 

“Is the cool Luka embarrassed? How cute!” Marinette quickly snaps a shot. 

He covered the lower part of his face with the back of his hand and looks away. He was too embarrassed to face her right now. Just a single look might let a lot of emotions slip. He tried to distract himself by counting the feathered glasses a vendor nearby was selling. Marinette frowns as she watched Luka. 

“Sorry... I shouldn’t have pulled you so suddenly” She said, down casted. Luka instantly looks back to Marinette, sensing her guilt. 

“No... It’s okay, I was just...” He stuttered as he tried to find the right words to say. Her eyes lit up while waiting for the rest of his sentence, feeling her guilt slowly dissipate. 

“Just...?” 

“Surprised, that’s all” he muttered. 

Marinette heaves a sigh of relief. “For a moment there, I thought you were mad!” 

Luka softly strokes Marinette’s hair and whispers loud enough for her to hear. 

“I might be mad, but a different kind of mad…” 

<>

They continued their shopping until they decided to stop by for some burgers and sat on the bench provided for the customers. Marinette pondered if it was the right time to talk about what happened.

“Luka...” She started. “Thanks for taking me out today.” 

“Hmm...?” Luka glanced at Marinette. 

“You did it to cheer me up, didn’t you?” Marinette raised her eyebrow. He didn’t give her a reply earlier when she talked about work. She was worried maybe she was annoying him but after what he displayed today, she figured maybe it was his way of cheering her up. Marinette didn’t want to be labeled as someone assuming so she hoped that her guess was correct. Otherwise, it would be quite embarrassing. 

“Ah... I got caught.” He laughs. He didn’t realize Marinette had caught on his plan. However, a part of him really did just want to spend the day with her. He has an inkling to why he would desire such thing but disregarded the thoughts. For now, he’ll just have fun.

“Are you having fun?” He asked Marinette even though he already knew the answer.

Marinette nods. “I have a lot of ideas I to experiment with too... I just hope I can persuade Leila with my designs. She’s a tough one to crack” 

“She didn’t like anything?” Marinette nods silently. “That’s rare... Not even the slightest bit of reaction?” Marinette shakes her head gently. 

“She’s worse than the worst person I knew of. She criticized everything I made without even examining it further. When she finally stopped to take a look at one of my designs for more than a second, she threw my sketchbook and called it an insult.” 

“Can I see the design?” Marinette take out her sketchbook from her bag and gave it to Luka. He carefully flipped the pages and admired each design Marinette made. When he reached the beautiful coral blue dress, Marinette pointed out that the dress was the one Leila called an insult. 

Luka felt something was off. 

“Marinette, are you sure she hated it?” 

“Yeah, she told me straight to the point. She said she wanted something sparkly and something indecently short.” 

Luka hums in response. He continued flipping through the sketchbook and admiring each work. When he finished, he asked Marinette if he could accompany her next time she meets up with Leila. 

“You want to come with me?” He nods. 

“Am I not allowed?” 

“No... I don’t think Mrs. Elliah would mind. But why would you? You’re not going to threaten Leila just because she was rude to me... right?” She knew Luka wasn’t the type to do such thing. But she wasn’t sure what he _was_ going to do. She wanted to get a clue. And so, she tried luring him out. 

“I might, if you want me to” Luka said, pokerfaced. Marinette wouldn’t hurt a fly. Still, a part of him regretted saying so. His kind personality and emotions would never let him live if he ever did threaten a child. 

“Luka!” She exclaimed. 

“I won’t, I won’t. I was just kidding” 

“Geez, I don’t want to go to jail for threatening a kid...” 

“It’s more likely the other way around” 

Marinette frowns at Luka as he laughs. 

“But still,” Luka returned to his serious expression. “I want to meet her...” seeing his expression, Marinette didn’t question the man and agreed. Even if she didn’t know what Luka was thinking, she knows that he can be trusted. 

“Anyway, Sass has been feeling listless. I think it’s time to give him back” Luka glanced at Sass who was almost asleep. 

“I’m gonna miss the little guy” Marinette sighs. The time they spent together was short, but Marinette felt like she was saying goodbye to a longtime friend. Just looking at the little snake was enough to make Marinette feel lonely. Luka watched Marinette’s expression slightly change. He knew that she’ll miss the little noodle dearly. 

Sass sleepily squeezed Luka as if trying to say _“I don’t want to let go”_ He pets the little noodle in response, feeling a little guilty he has to split ways with the reptile. “We’ll walk slowly, alright?” He tried to compromise, but the snake didn’t react. 

They slowly made their way back to the snake charmer; they watched the little mint snake as he wakes up every now and then to check if they were near. Each time he lifts his little head, he cuddles Luka tighter. During the few hours they were together, he had grown so attached to Luka, he would love it if he was his new owner now. Sadly, he has to accept that reality isn’t so giving. 

When they finally reached the charmer, Sass hid behind Luka as a final attempt to stay. “Ah, there you are! How’s the brat doing? Just in time, I was about to call it a day!” Luka held his arm up to the snake for him to slither on. The snake protested at first but accepted his fate in the end. “Sorry for bothering your date with this lil guy.” 

“He was no problem at all...” Luka fished for the ring in his pocket. “Here, a gift for Sass” Luka handed the ring to the charmer. “Sass like shiny things and being complimented” He whispered to the charmer and winked. 

The Charmer chuckles and thanks Luka for the advice “I’ll take note of that” 

“Bye Sass! It was nice meeting you...” The snake didn’t react and looked down instead. 

“He wants to meet you again sometime” Luka translated the snake’s actions. 

“Oh then... If it’s alright for mister...” She glanced at the snake charmer, waiting for his reply. “Keh, this brat will probably insist for it over and over. Visit me all you want! Every day if you even like!” 

The snake wiggled happily. 

They bid their farewells and continued to their initial destination, the parfait shop. 

“I’m surprised, I didn’t expect you to be a Disney princess” Marinette chuckled as she recalled everything that happened today. From Luka showing up out of nowhere up to this moment. She saw him in many different colors, she felt contented and pleased with her discoveries.

“Who? Me?” Luka pointed to himself. Marinette affirms and gave him a teasing gaze.

“Princess? Don’t you mean a prince?” Luka was baffled. 

“No,” Marinette smirks “I mean exactly what I said.” 

“Really? Explain.” Luka Challenged.

“Your hair is dyed to perfection, magic hands that can tattoo and play the guitar, you can talk to animals and-” Marinette stops in her tracks “Were you ever poisoned, cursed, kidnapped or enslave and other people think all your problems disappeared because a big, strong man showed up?” 

“You watch a lot of Disney films. Juleka dyed my hair, by the way” 

“Answer the question, Princess.” Marinette taunts. 

“Nope,” He replied while popping the p. “Never.” 

“Really? None?” Marinette raised her eyebrow as if she doesn’t believe him. 

“Well...” Luka scratched his nape “The first three may have happened...” 

“Really? What happened?” Brimming with curiosity, the woman asked. 

“That’s a story for another time...” Marinette noticed something different from his tone. Maybe it was something traumatizing? She wanted to ask but she was afraid to accidentally offend the man. She decided to continue her Disney princess interrogation instead. “What about the big, strong man? Surely you must have someone save you before like that guy in the parlor the other day” 

“You mean Jarred?” Luka ponders, recalling the first time he met the muscular man. “He did help me start my career as a tattoo artist... I don’t think it will be the same if he didn’t trust me to draw his tattoo. He was my first customer.” 

“That checks off everything in the list! See? You are a Disney princess!” Marinette giggles. “Your royal highness!” she began to laugh. He didn’t mind Marinette making fun of him at all. Seeing her laughing like that brought a smile to his face. It almost made him laugh alongside her. “Princess Luka, we’re close at our destination,” Marinette said as soon as she realized they were steps away “And it is—closed?” Marinette stops in her tracks “It’s not a weekend today, right?” 

They noticed a paper taped to the door and read the note: _‘Closed. Will resume business next week Monday. Thank you for your continued patronage!’_

“I didn’t expect the shop to be closed today” Luka apologized. 

Marinette didn’t mind, she had more fun strolling the streets with Luka. Her little trip gave her a lot of ideas to work with. She was more than thankful to Luka. “It doesn’t matter. Today was really fun.” 

Feeling that he had managed to fulfill his goal, Luka gave her a smile. “I’m glad to hear...” 

They had too much fun that they didn’t notice that the sun had set already. She was also already tired from walking around the whole afternoon, Luka looked tired too. “Should we head back ho-” 

Just before Marinette finished her sentence, Luka pulled her to his side as a tall business man rushed through. The man yelled an apology, explaining he was late whilst running. Marinette found herself cuddling the man she called a princess just moment ago. Her head was resting on his chest as she stiffened. She couldn’t help but feel his tight grip around her shoulders. Hoping he hasn’t noticed her raging heartbeat, she let out a deep breath and mumbled her thanks. 

She took a step back to fix herself. Luka still hasn’t let go of her yet. 

“Marinette, it’s getting late, I’ll walk you home.” he slipped his right hand into Marinette’s left and started walking home. The act happened so smoothly; Marinette wasn’t able to react fast enough. The place suddenly feels warmer. She held her cheek with one hand, trying to process his actions. 

She was initially going to tell him to let go of her hand but she ended up saying nothing. Every now and then she would gaze at the man and take note of details she missed. From his matching earring to the warmth radiating from his hand. She wasn’t able to see his expression however as he was walking a little bit faster than her. 

Unconsciously, she tightened her grip. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suddenly forgot how to write again.  
> Just gonna stare at next chapter's draft...  
> Gonna start picking up the pace.   
> too much fillers wwww.


End file.
